Pledges to continue to release severance details on an annual basis. 

Statement from Mayor Danny Avula:

In July of 2017, City Council passed ORD. 2017-071, which delineated terms of severance in the City's Pay Ordinance, including the requirement that severance only be paid pursuant to a separation agreement. Below you will find the list of severance payments from 2017.

When a City employee signs a separation agreement under the current policy, both the employee and the City of Richmond agree not to disclose the existence of the agreement. In the spirit of the promises made to these employees, I've decided not to release their names.

In the future, we commit to releasing severances provided by the City on an annual basis.

Posted Feb. 14, 2025

The City of Richmond is sharing the preliminary after-action report from the outside firm hired to conduct an independent investigation of the circumstances that led to water service disruption in early January. 

The findings in the preliminary after-action report produced by HNTB Corporation, an engineering and infrastructure development firm with more than 100 years of experience, affirm that a power outage resulting from a winter storm started a chain reaction that caused flooding at the water treatment plant, damaging equipment and hampering efforts to restore water service. 

The HNTB report summarizes the sequence of events following that early morning power outage. It also lays out a series of initial recommendations that serve as a blueprint for process enhancements and protocol changes to strengthen operations at the City’s water treatment plant. 

“The release of the summary findings from HNTB provide an overview of the events of January 6, 2025 at the City’s water treatment plant, including the timing of the power outage that led to flooding that damaged critical plant equipment and computer systems, the staff response, and the service restoration effort,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “Since water service was restored, the City has made a series of changes to plant operations and equipment. That includes millions of dollars in investments towards the recovery work, much of which has been spent on equipment upgrades and repairs — including new backup power systems. We have also made meaningful changes to plant procedures, consistent with several HNTB recommendations, as part of continuing efforts to make water treatment plant operations more resilient.” 

Added Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Interim Director Scott Morris, DBA: “Many of the water plant process improvement recommendations in the HNTB report align with steps that have already been taken to more effectively deploy staff, prepare them for emergency response situations, strengthen system redundancy, and enhance preparedness protocols through training and practice exercises. That includes readiness preparation for inclement weather events, as well as regular checks of facility equipment, fuel, chemicals, and systems to avert the potential for future impact on operational continuity and service delivery.” 

The release of HNTB’s preliminary findings is part of the City’s continuing commitment to better understand the events of January 6, 2025 and share that information with the public.  

A final report from HNTB is forthcoming. 

Download the preliminary after-action report: https://rva.gov/media/41406

Posted on Jan. 31, 2025

Fund will provide financial assistance to directly pay bills for eligible Richmonders impacted by the water outage

The City of Richmond is now accepting applications for Water Recovery Assistance through a fund that has been established to provide financial support to people impacted by the water outage this month. This assistance is an expansion of the City of Richmond’s existing Family Crisis Fund that supports Richmonders with critical needs. 

Applications for assistance open today, Jan. 31, 2025. Eligible residents may apply by calling 3-1-1 or by visiting rva311.com. Family Crisis Fund requests, specific to the water outage, will be accepted until March 14 or until the fund has been exhausted. 

To qualify for assistance, individuals must be a resident of the City of Richmond, have a demonstrated financial hardship due to the water outage, and have a balance owed or overdue for a bill in one of the following categories: 

• Rent or mortgage payments
• Non-City Utility bills
• Healthcare expenses
• Childcare costs
• Car loan payments

Eligible residents can expect financial assistance to be directed towards their service provider or biller, such as landlords, utility companies, and healthcare providers. 

Since 2023, the City of Richmond has dedicated more than $2.6 million to the Family Crisis Fund to support Richmonders in need. In recent months, the City of Richmond has invested $1.17 million and more than $650,000 remains in the fund to support Richmond residents in crisis. Mayor Danny Avula has also contributed $25,000 to the Family Crisis Fund from his Richmond Forward Together PAC, and he encourages members of the community who are able to donate to contribute as well. Contributions can be made via a partnership with the United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg: https://www.yourunitedway.org/rvawaterfund/ 

“A big part of building and sustaining a thriving community is investing resources to help people who are in need. The Family Crisis Fund is one of the ways we are responding to the financial impact the water outage had on our fellow Richmonders,” said Mayor Avula. “This is one of those times when we are asking people who can help, to step up and do so.” 

The Water Recovery Assistance is an expanded use of the Family Crisis Fund that was established in 2020 — in a partnership with the Robins Foundation — to support Richmonders experiencing unexpected hardship associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its formation, the City of Richmond has invested nearly $5 million into the Fund over the years.  

Individuals who have previously received assistance through the Family Crisis Fund may still be eligible for Water Recovery Assistance. Those who have already received assistance through the program in the past year may be eligible for up to $800 in recovery funding, and those who have not received support from the Family Crisis Fund in the past year may be eligible for up to $2,500.

Posted October 30, 2024

90 percent of the 228 recommendations made in 2017 were implemented, partially implemented, or an alternative solution was found

Richmond, VA – Today, Mayor Levar Stoney announced the release of an updated city government performance review during his last 100 days in office. Jim Burke and Linda Pierce, who conducted the 2017 performance review, were hired again earlier this year to comprehensively assess the City of Richmond’s progress on the 228 recommendations provided in the 2017 report. Jim and Linda are consultants from Teo Consulting.

According to their analysis, 90 percent of the 228 total recommendations were either implemented, partially implemented, or an alternative solution was found, showing significant progress on city government operations since 2017. 

“After the release of the 2017 report, my commitment was to be about the fix – to break down silos and unnecessary bureaucracy and create a strong cross-functional team that delivers for Richmonders,” said Mayor Levar Stoney. “As this report undeniably shows, we have made significant progress to improve core city agencies and make this city stronger than it was a decade ago.”

In 2017, during Mayor Stoney’s first 100 days in office, he commissioned a comprehensive performance review of city government. That review was released on May 25, 2017, and revealed “a need for improved financial controls and reporting (Finance), better hiring processes and career development (Human Resources), streamlined procurement practices (Procurement) and upgraded and integrated technology (Information Technology).”

These four departments have been the main focus of the core improvements made since 2017 given that they touch almost every other city department and can impact service delivery.

“Despite unprecedented hurdles like a global pandemic, civil unrest, and leadership turnover, the City of Richmond remained steadfast in its commitment to continuous improvement,” said Lincoln Saunders, Chief Administrative Officer. “We made some big moves over the past eight years, such as the overhaul of Human Resources, the implementation of the purchasing card program, and thorough engagement of our workforce, that have significantly improved the efficiency of how we operate and the overall culture of City Hall. I am proud of the progress we’ve made.”

The following are highlights of the progress made to date based on the consultant’s comprehensive qualitative assessment of all city departments: 

• In 2017, we noted that Human Resources, Procurement, Finance, and Information Technology were negatively impacting the functioning of all the other areas within City Hall in various ways. The current heads of each of these departments have taken action to improve the effectiveness of their areas, thereby positively impacting City Hall. 
• Several heads of other departments and offices noted that they have seen significant improvement in the response time of Human Resources and Procurement. HR underwent a significant reorganization in 2023. The P-card system has had a positive impact on all departments.
• We heard that Finance and IT are working closely together to make much-needed improvements.
• Finance has increased their staffing levels and is raising the bar on the qualifications for new staff.
• Unlike in 2017, we heard of increased collaboration across all areas. This needs to continue and expand, but collaboration is moving in the right direction. This is an important cultural shift.
• Similarly, staff (especially those who have been part of this administration for most or all the time) highlighted the improvement in the culture and morale within City Hall since 2017. The City has implemented a number of programs to retain skilled employees and to recruit highly qualified people to City Hall. 

Detailed information about each recommendation can be found in pages 18-130 of the attached report. On pages 1-17, you will find information reflections from the consultants on major themes and trends, as well as information about the report’s methodology.

• Download the consultant's presentation
• Download the full report

Posted October 28, 2024

Richmond, VA – On Thursday, October 10, the City of Richmond in partnership with Sail250® Virginia and Virginia Museum of History and Culture announced Tall Ships RVA as an affiliate harbor of Sail Virginia℠ 2026. With this announcement, Richmond becomes one of five Affiliate Harbors to host the tall ships.

Sail250® Virginia Host City Norfolk and it’s 10 Sail Virginia℠ 2026 Affiliate Harbors will welcome more than 60 tall ships, military, and character ships from around the world over two weekends, June 12 – 15, 2026 and June 18 – 23, 2026.

The year 2026 marks the 250th Anniversary of the nation’s founding in 1776, the United States of America’s Semiquincentennial.  For this milestone occasion, a fleet of the world’s most magnificent international tall ships, historic character vessels, and modern military ships, will again sail into the harbors of Virginia as part of the national Sail250® tour.

During June 2026, ships from 20 countries are expected to fill the harbors of Richmond, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, and Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Region to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. “This is an incredible opportunity to recognize and celebrate the importance of our military maritime services and highlight the strong partnership between Virginia and the world,” said Mayor Levar Stoney.

The City of Richmond has partnered with the Virginia Museum of History and Culture to plan and implement this historical event.

“As we look ahead to 2026, Richmond is not just anticipating an event, we’re preparing for a transformative experience that will unite people from all walks of life along the beautiful shores of this great city. Tall Ships RVA is more than a festival; it’s a journey into our shared maritime history, a celebration of sailing, and a commitment to our community and environment,” said 7th District Councilwoman Dr. Cynthia Newbille.

Richmond’s events will take place the weekend of June 12-15, 2026.

Updates will be provided as planning moves ahead on rva.gov.